[TomGuy]

Reconstituting brown sugar that has turned brick hard.

Place the [plastic] bag containing the brown sugar in a slightly larger ziplock bag. Dampen (but not to the point of dripping) a folded paper towel and place it in the area outside the brown sugar bag but inside the ziplock bag. Be sure that the brown sugar bag is open. Zip the bag and set it in the cabinet.

Within a day or two, the brown sugar will be softened. If the sugar has not softened enough, open the ziplock and check the dampness. If necessary, re-dampen the paper towel, seal the bag and let it set another day or two.

[Jane Long]

Or, if you need to use brown sugar immediately....

place in microwave safe bowl, cover with damp paper/regular towel and microwave....checking every 20 seconds, or so.

[sweetiepiezer]

I put hardened brown sugar in the microwave, softens it right up.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for that. I threw away a box the other day :-(

I think this little guy does the same trick - it has good reviews and I’m thinking of getting one:

https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Sugar-Bear-Original-Terracotta/dp/B000MT65BC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490378591&sr=8-1&keywords=brown+sugar+keeper

[piasa]

Apple slices definitely work on brown sugar.